Comments on: Would anyone miss the Break and SysRq keys?

By: Kev Waite

Kev Waite — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:30:35 +0000

My laptop keyboard doesn’t have an ampersand key: Dell kindly did give me two caret keys though above the 6 and 7 keys. Took a while to get logic statements to compile…

By: Davi d Foster

Davi d Foster — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:43:18 +0000

I completely agree with big_D – which is why I’m typing this on a keyboard which came with a LASER 286 powered PC circa 1990!
A combined Ctrl+Alt+Del key would still be useful!

By: Jeffery Johnson

Jeffery Johnson — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:21:53 +0000

Maybe instead of changing the standard keyboard for everyone, maybe you could make a programable keyboard. One that out-of-the-box funcions like a standard keyboard, yet allows users to program any key to do other funcions. Then a user could program their secondary Alt or Windows Key to Cut and Paste.

I myself use the secondary ALT and Windows Keys just as I use the secondary SHIFT keys. It makes since that keys that change the funcion of other keys should be duplicated on both sides of the keyboard to provide easy access to 2 or 3 key combinations.

By: Jeffery Johnson

Jeffery Johnson — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:15:18 +0000

I personally feel that the standard keyboard is just fine. There is no need to change it. Even though not everyone uses all of the keys on the standard keyboard, there are many people that do… I use Ctrl-Break, Pause, and the Context Menu key.

Sometimes it’s best to leave good enough alone or you can cause havoc.

By: David

David — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:40:09 +0000

Having been used to a 1995 Gateway keyboard until it died just a few months ago, I never use the Windows keys. Maybe I will now!

The keys I would drop – and I see nobody here has defended yet – are the two to the right of the space bar: Alt Gr and the second Windows key.

Meanwhile, I’d like to see 3 new keys appear under the Insert/Del | Home/End | Page Up/Down block, which would be respectively Cut | Copy | Paste.

Yes I know you can do Control-V etc., and Control-Insert, but I do cut and paste SO OFTEN that they ought to have their own keys.

By: David Wright

David Wright — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:42:09 +0000

@GIndylow I don’t care about the noise, it is the feel of the key which is important. The short travel and membrame yukiness of current keyboards, especially the laptop style desktop keyboards is dreaful. If I am going to be doing a lot of typing when travelling, I generally carry along a “real” keyboard to plug into my laptop! Currently an Apple crumb-catcher, because it is relatively compact, but the feel isn’t too bad.

I have had a string of MS Natural keyboards. The 1994/5 was the best. Each successive generation has added new “media” keys, whist destroying the quality of the keyoard itself. The current one (4000 series) is dreadful in comparison, although it looks much better than the older ones.

Currently the more expensive Cherry keyboards and the Logitech G series (G10 and original G15, the “refresh” model is dreadful) are probably the best of the generally available and “resonably” priced keyboards.

By: JH

JH — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:30:10 +0000

The Ctrl and V keys aren’t that far apart. Many businesses program the Fn keys so there’s not a lot of point in the manufacturers doing it. As the discussion has shown, it is senseless trying to slim the keyboard as although not everyone may use a key, every key is used, and if one ordered a keyboard sans a key, the time would come when one would need it. Maybe if OLED keyboards got cheap, they would be a better alternative?

By: Gindylow

Gindylow — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:01:24 +0000

I keep pressing my FLock key but haven’t sighted any Seagulls as yet…

I honestly use every key on my Microsoft Keyboard, and absolutely love the fact that new keybaords are damped and dont make really loud clickety clack noises all the time.

My business partner hits each key hard enough to knock out a boxer, so quiet keyboards are invaluable to my sanity.

Why are we trying to Scrap old keys? I’d be for adding new FLock keys that add extra functions to the main keyboard letters.

Why with extra keys and more functions I could rule the world….Muhahahhahahhh.

By: Ofsted

Ofsted — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:29:59 +0000

I can’t do without the PRT SCRN part of SYSREQ – I create hudreds of screen dumps. The ALT key is essential for Photoshop (which hasn’t fully implemented a two button mouse!)

By: BassoProf

BassoProf — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:41:58 +0000

I use Ctrl-Break to stop more than just Excel. Couldn’t do without it.

Alt-PrintScreen is also a great combination – just copies the window that has focus rather than the whole screen.

Have learned some good stuff here though!